


Those Moments we shared (EN)

by Wrynn



Series: Dog Tags [2]
Category: AU WAR Fandom, Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Flashs courts, Love, M/M, New York, Post Iraq War, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wrynn/pseuds/Wrynn
Summary: Clark and Bruce are former U.S. military personnel who fought in the Iraq War. Upon their return to the USA, they start a new life. This is a collection of "moments" that they have both shared in rebuilding their lives. Linked to the fiction "Blast". It's my own tranlastion.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, SuperBat - Relationship, Superman/Batman
Series: Dog Tags [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983778
Comments: 15
Kudos: 62





	1. That day at the farm

**Author's Note:**

> There'll be 11 moments.

**That day at the farm**

Clark was completely stressed out. All the way to his farm, he hadn't said a word. He just drove the 4x4, which was adapted for him and the road conditions. It had nothing to do with his memories of the roads in Baghdad, but he was sure that Bruce's sports car suspension wouldn't like this kind of road.

Bruce had let him drive because he felt his stress. He knew he needed to evacuate and Clark was grateful that he didn't point this out to him. They were going to be here any minute. He could already see his farm in the distance. It was Bruce's first time seeing the place where he had grown up. It would be the first time he and his mother would see each other. Somehow Clark was thrilled with the visit, but there was still apprehension.

He walked into the driveway of his farm where Shelby's barking, his mother's border collie, signaled their arrival. Clark parked the 4x4 between the house and the barn and got out of the vehicle with Bruce. He let out a happy laugh when Shelby came and jumped on him.

"Hi big boy! Where's Mommy? "

The dog barked reflexively and Martha walked out of the house with a radiant smile on her lips. Shelby then left Clark to go sniff the unknown.

"Honey! I'm so happy to see you! "

Clark hugged his mother.

"Hi Mom. "

She pulled herself away from him to watch him as she always did. She ran her hand across his cheek, checking that he was clean-shaven and ruffled his curly hair. His short locks fell back to his forehead. Bruce appeared behind him, followed closely by Shelby.

"Oh, you have company! "

"Who didn't come empty-handed. "

Bruce smiled a charming smile as he held out a beautiful bouquet of flowers that he had wanted to give to his mother. Clark didn't know who was more touched by Bruce's gesture between him and his mother.

"You spoil me! They are beautiful, thank you very much! "

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Kent. "

Martha gave him back a radiant smile.

"Call me Martha. You're the famous Bruce, I suppose? "

Bruce winked at her.

"Bull's-eye. Nice to meet you. "

"I'm the one who's delighted, having heard about you for over a year, I finally meet you! Come in, I'll put the flowers in a vase. "

They followed Martha inside the house. Clark was totally relaxed. His mother seemed to take the fact that he was bringing Bruce back well. Not that he had any doubts, but he had always been a little afraid to confront her about his sexual orientation.

But today, Bruce was bringing out his big game. Clark was always bluffed to see Bruce so cordial and charming when circumstances led him to behave well. He was actually cold, suspicious and aloof, the contrast was remarkable when Bruce played the excellent actor. Clark had spent an enormous amount of time observing him before he could distinguish the true from the false in his behavior. He was delighted that Bruce was being honest at the moment. He was relieved that he was comfortable with his mother.

While Martha took care of the flowers, Clark took the opportunity to show Bruce around the house. He told anecdotes, such as the time he broke his mother's porcelain dog, or the time he got lost in his own fields. He told him about the first time he had seen through a telescope with his father. Clark realized that he had a lot of good childhood memories that he wanted to share with Bruce. It made him happy to do that with him. And that smile on his face...

Bruce radiated with his only smile. He was truly the sunshine of his life. Clark realized every time he saw Bruce with such a smile how much he loved him. And as if he was capturing his thoughts, Bruce approached him and kissed him, sliding his hand on the back of his neck. Clark closed his eyes, kissing him as if it was the last time he would do it. He wanted to put all his passion, all his love into it.

The clattering of Shelby's claws on the floor stopped them, and Clark blushed when he saw Martha on his bedroom doorstep with a tender smile on her lips.

"I made coffee. "

Clark would have dreamed of being able to hide. When he turned his head towards Bruce, he was surprised to see that he too shared his discomfort. He had never seen Bruce embarrassed before. Bruce was the first to run down the stairs. Clark followed him before being stopped by his mother, who whispered very low:

"He is adorable! And incredibly hot! "

There was a beat before Clark and his mother exploded with laughter. He was over the moon: it was even better than in his dreams.


	2. That day at the airport

_**That day at the airport** _

Bruce looked at his watch. Clark's plane was landing in 5 minutes. Knowing that he had no luggage in the hold, and that he had a ten minute walk from the drop-off area to the airport exit, he had plenty of time to burn one. A small one that would help him face the tornado he was about to bring home.

He leaned over to the side of the glove compartment of his company SUV and retrieved the opened pack of cigarettes and got out of the car. He lit his cigarette and welcomed the first hit as a blessing. It was going to piss Clark off, but as he knew he would be... he wasn't losing much.

He had left work early to pick up Clark. When he received a text from Clark asking him to pick him up at the airport, he knew he had reached his breaking point. It had been going on for months, he had to finally break down.

Leaning against the car, he was quietly smoking his cigarette. He didn't like going inside the airport. There were too many people, too much noise, too many cameras and security guards. He was also used to private and non-commercial flights. He had offered him to use his private jet for his business trips to Kansas, but Clark was able to be himself and preferred to be in contact with people.

Bruce went to throw away his cigarette butt. He still had a few minutes left. Time for a second cigarette. He took another cigarette butt and smiled inwardly at the thought of seeing Clark angry. He was already imagining how the rest of their evening would go and how it would probably end.

He threw his cigarette butt away just as he saw his brunette walk through the automatic doors with his military duffle bag. Clark must have left the Fort Riley base in a hurry to arrive in uniform. He was quite a looker. He was wearing the uniform really well. Whether it was sand or khaki, it had the same effect on Bruce. He would see himself more than a year back when they were in Iraq. Iraq, and their famous basketball games...

Clark came up to him, put a quick kiss on his lips and walked to the trunk to throw his bag.

"Hi. "

"Hi. "

Bruce held back a smile as he got into the car. Clark slammed the door next to him and fastened his seat belt.

"What happened?" Bruce asked as he drove away.

Clark folded his arms.

"You were right. I finally got out of there. I told Bertinelli to fuck off and told the Brigadier General that this was my last class. I packed my bag and took the first plane home. Those assholes made me run away from my own homeland! "

Bruce frowned.

"We're going back to Kansas to celebrate Christmas at your mother's house in three weeks. "

"Yes, well, you understood me! Bertinelli is a big asshole. Between his homophobic mud jokes and his comments about handicapped people I thought I was going to throw my prosthesis in his face! Kudrow will have to find himself another trainer. I'm here to teach these rookies how to defuse bombs in real life situations, not just have fun cutting stupid wires! "

Clark had already talked to him dozens of times about what he was doing. To put them in a real situation, he was really making an effort. Bruce found his method quite educational, but perhaps too drastic.

"The student from last time got over blowing up the Thanksgiving turkey? "

He felt Clark's look on his face.

"It wasn't the one at lunch. And yes, he's over it. I just didn't think the stuffing would explode so disgustingly... It was pretty realistic, though. "

His grimace could be heard in his intonation. Bruce kept his eyes on the road, but he would have liked to see the former military man's face. Clark was working as a civilian consultant for bomb disposal training, an offer that the General at his base had made him some time after his return to Iraq. Only, because Clark was doing a lot of real-world work, he was putting the uniform back on.

"The other trainers don't like your methods and your students don't yet understand what they're going to face. "

Clark nodded his head.

"Yeah, I know. I was the same at the beginning. But all these stories... Being surrounded by jerks... I'm going to finish my training sessions with the Marines here. After that, I won't be renewing my contract with the military, US Army or USMC. "

Bruce felt the weariness in Clark's voice. No matter what he said or passed, this time it had really hit him. After months of being harassed, it was bound to happen eventually. But he hadn't expected Clark to be so weary.

"So this time it's for real, you hanging up? "

Clark was looking at the window.

"Yeah. I'm tired of driving back and forth between Kansas and Quantico. I want to settle down. I wanted to be able to pass on as much of my experience as possible but... it's not as... I need to move on. I could never prepare them for what they're going to experience. I have to get used to it. "

Bruce nodded his head and rolled down his window.

"I will officially become an agent in a month. After that, we can go back to New York. "

He reached for his ID pass and entered the Quantico base. They remained silent until they parked in their spot and returned to their assigned accommodations.

"Then we'll have to discuss what we're going to do in New York. If we're going to settle there, I have a few leads on how to get a job. "

Bruce knew that Clark had always kept journalism as a career option. There was a flood of opportunities in New York City. He watched Clark drop his bag in the lobby and go get a glass of water. His lustful thoughts caught up with him. He walked up to him and before he even put his hands on his hips, Clark stopped him dead in his tracks:

"In your dreams, Bruce. Did you think I wasn't going to notice that you smoked? "

He felt his anger. It turned him on even more.

"I still have one pack left. I have to finish it. "

Clark faced him with a dark look in his eyes.

"That's what you said last weekend. "

Bruce approached to kiss him.

"I'm going to stop, I promise. "

His companion put a finger over his mouth.

"You won't fool me like that. "

"You need to relax. "

Clark nodded.

"Yes. I need a shower. I must smell plastic miles away. "

Bruce displayed a grin.

"Too bad it's a smell I like on you. But I can go with you. "

He captured Clark's lips. The latter couldn't help but return his kiss with a sigh of comfort. Bruce always got what he wanted. And he wanted it from him. Clark stepped back.

"In your dreams, you ashtray. "

Clark retrieved his bag and walked to the bedroom. His uniform pants really molded him. Bruce automatically went to the bathroom.

"I'm clearly going to go with you in the shower. "

Clark's laughter only confirmed what happened next.


	3. That day in front of the plans

**_That day in front of the plans_ **

Clark was speechless in the face of the long contract he was up against. A contract for his future house, which went hand in hand with the plans laid out on the table.

"What do you say?" Bruce asked impatiently.

The journalist was stunned for several seconds before raising his head to Bruce:

"Wait, did you see the ton of restrictions in there? "

"The main thing to remember is that you have to find another mailing address. "

Clark glanced at the blond lawyer who had just answered him.

"Thank you. " He sighed. "I'll be joining the Daily Planet, if there's nothing else. But Bruce... what are these plans?! "

"Our future home. "

The brown man took the plan sheets to examine them.

Indeed, they had talked about changing places. Clark had been living in Bruce's big apartment in New York for a while, but it was too cold and empty. What he had wanted was to live in a house. Bruce had granted his request. They had both chosen a residential area in a quiet place of New York City. It was totally overpriced, but not for the famous billionaire Bruce Wayne.

They had found the perfect, unique piece of land, and they liked the house. Large, spacious and secluded at the end of a dead end street, the park was large and they were quiet. The interior was going to be partially rebuilt and from what Clark saw, Bruce had added his own touch. A big touch.

"In my memory, we didn't have a basement that was the size of the house! "

Bruce came and sat down next to him.

"I added a basement. Harvey knows people in the building, one of his other clients. That will extend the construction time by one to two weeks. "

Clark turned his head to Bruce's lawyer and looked at the plans again.

"What are you going to do with this basement? "

Bruce moved closer to him to face the sheets.

"A secure depository. The CIA's always on my back, I remind you. "

Clark ran his hand through his hair.

"You remind me of that quite often, yes. But come on, Bruce. You can't put an arsenal in there!"

"Actually, since he's an FBI agent with special status, he can. As long as he abides by that list of restrictions. "

Harvey put the list right under their noses. Clark raised his head to the lawyer, giving him another blank stare.

"You're really not helping, Atty. Dent. "

The lawyer made a grimace, but Clark was already ignoring him, turning his attention to the list. Oh. The restrictive list was impressive. But it still left Bruce with far too many possibilities. He could easily have a whole arsenal of weapons as long as he got the permits.

"How do you plan to set it up? "

Bruce pointed to the locations with his index finger and explained:

"Here, it will be a space for home surveillance equipment, it will be directly connected to our phones. This wall here will be for the equipment and this corner will be a training area for storage. Everything that needs to be highly secured will be placed here. "

Clark looked up at Bruce.

"Do you want us to put a surveillance post in the basement of the house?! Do we really need that? "

Bruce glanced at Harvey before answering in Russian:

" _It's for personal work. Quite extensive computer equipment._ "

The other read between the lines. He massaged the edge of his forehead.

" _Are you going to do espionage in our home?!_ "

The billionaire looked clearly into his eyes, the most serious in the world.

" _It will be a totally independent network._ "

Clark had a nervous laugh.

"I'm dating James Bond. "

Bruce leaned over to his ear and whispered:

"I'm richer and sexier than James Bond. "

The reporter burst out laughing. He shook his head.

"You win, do it, do your damn basement. "

His smile never left his face. Bruce shook his hand and gave her back her smile.

"Our home will be perfect. "

Clark was more than pleased that Bruce liked this project. He leaned over to him and put a kiss on his lips.

"Yes, it will be perfect. "


	4. That day when reading the invitation

_**That day when reading the invitation** _

* * *

Clark walked through the door and placed the package he was carrying and Bruce's mail on the kitchen table. Bruce walked behind him and placed their shopping bags on the table. Bruce began to put their fresh produce in the refrigerator while Clark looked at the mail. He had received a package at the Daily Planet the day before and had forgotten to take it out of the trunk of the car. The package was heavy and looked fragile.

"Did you order something?" Bruce asked while his head was in the refrigerator.

Clark made a face. He didn't remember placing an order. Jimmy had told him it was from overseas, and it had passed Journal security without a hitch. He looked for the sender on the package.

"I didn't order anything... it's from... Cologne. "

He frowned as Bruce finished and came to join him, curious too.

"The Planet's security has checked it ?" he asked.

Clark looked up as he picked up a knife to open the package.

"Yes, Mr. Paranoid. "

Bruce grunted and looked at the rest of the letters. Clark saw him only from the corner of his frowning eye.

"I also received a letter from Cologne. "

They glanced at each other.

"Open the letter first," Clark said, affected by Bruce's mistrust.

Bruce went to the sink to open his letter. If it was trapped, he would use water to dampen the effect. He ran the water before opening, checking that Clark was standing at a relatively safe distance. He took out an invitation card, with a photo attached.

"It's Barry. "

Clark let out a huge sigh.

"See how we're here?! We just looked like a bunch of paranoid freaks! It's just Barry! "

"There just us here. "

Clark shook his head as he came to see what it was all about.

"Maybe, but my ego took a hit. What is Barry talking about? "

Bruce handed him the card and summed it up:

"Barry has left the army and is vacationing in Germany. He suggested that we join him in California for the vacation season. There will be the others. "

Clark felt his joy as he read Barry's words and saw a picture of their entire group. He felt a twinge in his heart when he saw Ollie. He often thought of all their classmates, some of whom were still in the field.

"I had him on video communication last month. He wanted to join the police. "

Bruce nodded. Clark nodded again.

"It's been a long time since we've all seen each other. It could be really fun. "

Bruce remained neutral, but he agreed:

"Exactly. The last time was for July 4, at Ollie's grave. "

"From last year. For the two years after Ollie's death, " corrected Clark.

Their eyes met.

"Time goes by really fast. "

Clark agreed. He put the card on the table with the photo of their group.

"I'm going to buy a frame this afternoon. "

"You're going to put the picture where ? "Bruce asked in his usual neutral tone.

The brown ran through the house with his eyes.

"Here, somewhere in the living room. "

Bruce growled.

"I don't like the idea. We're both in this picture, during our military service. "

Clark shrugged.

"I don't care. We don't have to hide under our own home. I like to keep memories, to have photos, videos. There's no way this one is going to stay in a box at the bottom of a closet! "

He gave him a suspicious glance before retrieving the photo and heading towards his package. When he opened it, he found the same envelope, with the same contents, including the photo. Clark smiled a big smile as he looked at the rest of the contents of the package. Local German products.

"What's this?" asked Bruce.

Clark took out dozens of different packages.

"German specialties. Cakes with gingerbread, chocolate and fruit flavor. _Lebkuchen_. I thought they were just Christmas cakes... How did Barry get them in October?! "

Next to him, Bruce watched the packets mumbling:

"How could Barry go to Germany... "

Clark smiled at Bruce's aversion to Germany for the simple reason that he had not been able to learn their language.

"Jealous. "

He put a kiss on Bruce's temple as he took out the packages. Bruce grunted, and then he looked at Clark.

"By the way, how come he's sending a package to you and not to me?! "

Clark stopped in his gesture, thinking before he put on a huge smile.

"Consider that it's for both of us? "

Bruce shook his head as he walked away.

"I'll let Barry know we'll be there. By phone. I have some things to tell him. "

His harsh tone made Clark laugh.

"Jealous! "

The dark look in his partner's eyes made him laugh even more. Clark was thrilled to receive such an invitation and was looking forward to the end of the year coming soon.


	5. That day after an intervention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are always ups and downs in a couple's life ;)

_**That day after an intervention** _

* * *

Clark was in the process of wrapping up his article when he got the call. As soon as he saw the name « Lucius Fox » appear, he had a bad feeling. All he remembered from what Lucius, the CEO* of Wayne Enterprises and Bruce's benevolent friend, had told him were the words « Bruce » « shot » « hospital ».

He asked for the address and took off with his heart racing. Fear had overtaken him in a second and he rushed outside to call a cab and get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Not this. Not again. He didn't want to lose Bruce, he couldn't lose him.

It took a long time to get from work to the hospital. The 15-minute ride seemed interminable and he thought his heart was not going to make it. Bruce. He couldn't lose Bruce. Not today, not now. He didn't want to live with that fear.

He paid in a hurry and ran to the entrance of the emergency room. Contrary to what he had thought, he thought the E.R.* would be full of cops or FBI guys. But it wasn't. Two cars were there, but there was no sign of any agents inside. Clark didn't know what to think. He rushed to the front desk.

"Hi, I'm here to see Bruce Wayne, he was brought in with a gunshot wound. "

The nurse, a tall, slightly chubby fellow, didn't even look at his screen. He didn't even raise his head to him, but he answered at once:

"Sorry, you can't see him, you're not family. "

Clark opened his eyes in surprise, before anger took hold of him:

"Are you serious?! I'm his companion! Let me see him! "

This time he caught the attention of the nurse, who looked up, gauged his eyes before sighing and shifting his attention to what he was doing.

"That's it. And I went out with Clinton. I'd advise you to get out before you're thrown out, Mr. Kent. "

The nurse raised his head to show his jacket with a chin movement. Clark looked down and mentally called himself a « complete idiot » when he noticed that his press pass was still pinned to his raincoat pocket. He ripped it off and stuffed it in his pocket.

"I'm really his companion, let me go to him, please! "

The nurse raised his head again:

"My instructions are to let only family members and the « person I trust » pass. "

Clark ticked. « The » support person. Only one. Fucking Bruce. Lucius was the one who contacted him, he must have been this « person I trust ». And since Bruce Wayne was a public figure... no press, no police.

Clark backed away from the counter and thought fast, realizing that his chances of convincing the nurse were nil. He staked out the emergency room door. The swing doors were blocked by a computer lock, which the front desk activated to let them open. So, if he had to enter, he would have to do so on a stretcher or by forcing his way in. Everything had to be discreet.

He clenched his teeth. His current prosthesis wouldn't allow him to sprint like he does jogging, but it would do the trick to reach the doors quickly. Clark moved as slowly as possible towards the exit, waiting for an ambulance to arrive. This was not the case. But someone came through the doors to get out. It was an opportunity. Clark rushed toward the nurse who had just exited and barely held the door closed before slipping inside.

"Security! Get that man! "

Clark had drawn the attention of the entire department to him. He didn't care.

Looking at Bruce on the stretchers and stalls, he could feel the panic rising again as he saw people in serious states bleeding profusely, others being resuscitated, others in such critical states that there were more than five people around them. But there was no sign of Bruce.

Clark began to move through the ward as security ran towards him. He was beginning to lose hope of finding Bruce. If he had been shot, he might have gone up to surgery. But Clark searched everywhere, opening the curtains, disturbing medical staff and patient privacy. At the time, he didn't care about manners and politeness. All he cared about was finding Bruce.

"Clark?! "

He immediately recognized the voice and turned around to see Bruce, on a bed in a cubicle, struggling to button up his shirt.

"Bruce! You're all right ?" Clark rushed over to him.

Bruce's chest was bandaged and he guessed. Bullet holes against his vest.

"You shouldn't have come, I was on my way home. I don't have much. Lucius must have warned you out of concern. "

Bruce's light tone of voice made Clark angry when he was already on edge.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! "

Clark had raised his voice. The security guards arrived, wanting to catch Clark. The latter had a bad soldier's reflex. He turned to the first one who caught him and broke his nose.

"Don't touch me! "

Bruce stood up to intervene, addressing the security guards:

"He's with me. It's going to be all right... Agent Dielli? I'm very sorry, my friend has a PSTD*. "

The agent concerned was helped by his colleague to get up, holding his bloody nose. A doctor arrived immediately to take care of him.

"Thank you Mr. Wayne, he will be fine. "

They left the room and left them alone. Clark did not apologize. He was too out of his mind to be decent. He turned to Bruce, his eyes black:

"Were you going to tell me you were here? "

Bruce shrugged his shoulder. Clark guessed that he must have broken ribs.

"It wasn't necessary, It's not serious. "

Clark was overwhelmed with anger. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to keep his distance.

"You really deserve my fist in the face. I quit my job in a panic, I had to force my way in here because I'm not even one of the people to contact. Three years Bruce. Three. Fucking. Years. That I've been living with you. "

Bruce sighed as he put on his jacket.

"That's why I didn't want to tell you. To save you the trouble. "

This time Clark hit the wall with his fist. The concrete wall was fine. Clark's fist exploded on it, without him being bothered.

"Shit! Lucius was right to warn me! You're my partner Bruce, you owe it to me to keep me in the loop! That's the deal we had in place! "

Bruce, surprised, gauged Clark with his eyes before getting up.

"I would have told you when I got home. "

Clark knew it was true, because Bruce couldn't have hidden it from him anyway. His anger didn't go down a notch despite the pain he felt in his hand. He was ranting on the spot.

"Three years, and you didn't even put me on the emergency contact list. "

Bruce made a slight grimace as he recovered his discharge.

"Is it the fact that I was injured that bothers you the most, or this? "

Clark ignored his remark.

"Did they leave you a vehicle? "

Bruce nodded his head as they both walked out into the hallway.

"Black SUV in the parking lot. "

Clark reached out his uninjured hand to retrieve the keys. He could drive the vehicle without any modifications as long as they didn't get stopped by the cops. But there was no way the other would drive with only one arm. Bruce took the keys out of his pocket and handed them to him.

Clark preferred not to open his mouth anymore. Not for the moment. He was hurt that Bruce didn't want to warn him about this, and even more hurt that it seemed trivial to him. He was angry at himself for reacting this way when Bruce was hurt, but he couldn't help but be angry. Bruce was resilient, his health was not in danger. But it was out of principle.

Bruce took care of some administrative matters and they were able to get out. Clark quickly located the SUV and unlocked the vehicle. He got behind the wheel and drove away from their home, clenching his teeth. He was still furious, perhaps even more so now that he was thinking. Next to him, Bruce remained just as quiet. Clark broke the silence only when they were close to home.

"I was scared, Bruce. I was really scared that something bad had happened to you. It's not the fact that you put yourself in danger that pisses me off. I knew that working for the FBI is what you were risking. But the fact that it was Lucius warning me... shit, Bruce! Imagine how it makes me feel! To have a friend of my partner calling to tell me you're in the hospital! He was warned before me! And on top of that, because my name isn't on any paper, I couldn't come and see you! Can you imagine that? You would have been shot and I would have been stuck like a poor bastard at the reception desk! "

Clark violently entered the driveway of their house and slammed on the brakes. It wasn't due to his lack of feeling in his right leg.

"And what would you have done? Would you have wasted your time waiting in panic? "

"It's true that going in a gale while the other one is in a coma is a better solution. "

Clark stormed out the door. He was still struggling with Bruce's absence during his convalescence after Iraq. He opened their front door and without undressing, went to get ice for his damaged hand. Bruce closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, Clark. I'll get Lucius to change the papers. He'll stay on it, I'm bound by contract with him. "

"I'm not asking you to take Lucius out. I'm blaming you for ousting me. I know you don't want us to expose ourselves together. But I feel that I have the right to do that. I've made sacrifices, Bruce. I've written off a family's future. I've written off a quiet, peaceful life. I am not publicly linked to you: I get my mail at the Daily Planet, my name is not even on the documents of this house, and the whole world doesn't even know what my face is or even my name. In fact, I am so unrelated to you that if you leave, I will be left with nothing. That's the choice I made. But I feel that in return... "

Clark didn't finish his sentence. His anger had just subsided in one fell swoop, giving way to great weariness. He went to their couch and took his head in his hands.

"Don't take that away from me. You're the only precious thing I have, Bruce. I feel I have the right to be the first to be concerned, by yourself, about your situation. Your life is my life too. "

Clark was struck by a glaring reality about his life: if he lost Bruce, he lost everything. Absolutely everything. And this need he had to know, even if it wasn't necessary, was something Bruce didn't understand. He had tried to explain to him many times, why certain things hurt him. But Bruce continued to function with his objectivity, without trying to understand. Did it matter as much to him? Or was he only there to...

"Clark. "

He felt his chest tighten. Bruce was standing there staring at him, probably trying to figure out what he was thinking. He sighed as he ran one hand through his hair and then stood up to face him.

"Do you need anything? "

Bruce was still staring at him, his Mercury gaze pointed at him. Clark knew what it meant, but it didn't help to put balm in his heart.

"Maybe I'll just eat a little and go to bed. "

Clark nodded. He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

"There are some leftovers from yesterday's gratin and some roast pork. You just have to put it in the microwave to heat it up. "

He walked towards the entrance. He hadn't taken the time to take off his raincoat when he came in. He took his phone out of his pocket.

"Where are you going? "

Clark put his phone on their hall dresser.

"I need to think. Alone. "

He opened the door and before he closed it, he let go:

"Don't wait up for me. "

And he left, his heart clenched like never before, tears threatening to fall on his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CEO : Chief Executive Officer
> 
> E.R. : Emergency Room
> 
> PTSD : Post Traumatic Stress Disorder


	6. That day during an investigation

_**That day during an investigation** _

* * *

It was now or never. They had to intervene as quickly as possible before their target was caught. Bruce took a look at his teammate, Todd. He nodded his head and assured him that he was ready to act without backup. No wonder Todd was ready. So they took over the dilapidated building with a service weapon in hand.

In this building lived a drug dealer who could give them valuable information about an Irish mafia baron they had been trying to lock up for months. Todd's informant had assured him that he would be willing to cooperate with them in exchange for protection. It was well within the FBI's grasp, and if it meant putting away the man who had mutilated five of his henchmen two weeks earlier, he was sure to say yes. But time was running out.

Bruce took the lead and they climbed up the three floors to the right landing. Apartment 32. The door was ajar. Bruce raised his safety catch at the same time as Todd. He silently pushed the door open and it creaked slightly. Bruce went in first and told Todd to search to their left as he walked towards the living room and kitchen.

Moving silently, he checked all the blind spots. There was nothing on his side. That's when he heard sounds of a fight and the scream of a young woman.

"Fuck ! "

Bruce easily recognized Todd's voice as he ran towards him. A shot went off and Bruce reached the room, pointing his gun at the back of the guy who had just put Todd down.

"FBI ! If you move, I'll shoot. "

The guy in front of him was almost his size. It reminded him strangely of someone, despite the black sweater and cap.

"Bruce?! "

"Clark?! "

Bruce turned his head towards the young woman, whose overly perfect make-up was dissociating from her Sunday outfit. He put away his gun as Clark released Todd to the floor and turned to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?! "

Clark opened his eyes.

"No, what the hell are _you_ doing here?! We came to see Madeline, our contact. She asked us for help yesterday and she wasn't at the rendez-vous point. So we came. And what about you? "

Bruce watched Todd get up and noticed that Todd had put up a good fight with Clark. He had just picked the wrong leg.

"We came to see Teddy, a drug dealer. He lives here. "

Behind them, the brunette crossed her arms on his chest.

"That must be Maddie's boyfriend. That must be the guy in the bathroom... "

Bruce turned his head towards Clark, who grimaced.

"Sorry. We were too late. "

He stared at Clark's direction. Behind him, Todd let out a huge sigh of annoyance.

"Damn it. It was all for nothing! "

Todd had a mark on his eye that was beginning to appear. Todd leaned over to Clark's leg and retrieved his semi-serrated knife that had gotten stuck in his prosthesis.

"Hey, I hope for your sake it's not too badly damaged !" Clark said.

"You shouldn't have attacked me for that! "

"You had a weapon, you didn't announce yourself, I acted by reflex! "

Clark handed him the gun.

"Did you see your outfit?! You look like a thief! "

Bruce decided it was a good time to make the introductions.

"Okay, Clark, this is Jason Todd, Todd, this is Clark Kent. And... you're Lois Lane, I presume?"

The brunette nodded her head. Clark pointed to him with his hand.

"And this is Bruce Wayne. FBI agents. "

Lois nodded her head.

"I caught it when Agent Wayne yelled « FBI », Clark. Wayne from Wayne Enterprises? "

There was no reaction from the person concerned. Todd zapped his question with his own:

"And you are? "

"Reporters," Clark replied. "From The Daily Planet. "

Todd gave Clark a blank look.

"Journalist, my ass! "

Clark took off his hat to rub his neck, embarrassed.

"I've got some old reflexes. Your guy's over there. "

Bruce went ahead to go to the bathroom. The dealer they were looking for had his throat cut in the bathtub. The blood was still fresh. Bruce pulled out his phone to call forensics. They would have to secure the perimeter, and later they would have to take statements from the two reporters.

"Iraq or Afghanistan? " asked Todd.

"Iraq. "

"Okay, I get it. "

Bruce didn't comment. Todd knew about his past as a sniper in Iraq. He understood that Clark had been a former military man too and they both knew each other. That connection was easy to make and they would not deny it.

" _Sharing information ?_ " Clark asked in French with a strong accent.

The appropriate FBI agent nodded. It wasn't the first time their investigations had crossed paths. Clark called it « investigative journalism, » but he had been involved in some pretty big investigations. He and Lois were close to winning the Pulitzer Prize.

"What's the name of your contact? "

"Madeline Krett. "

"Clark! "

Lois intervened. She didn't go near the bathroom, but she protested strongly. Clark calmed her down by raising his hand:

"Calm down, Lois. If we want to help Maddie, we'll have to prove her innocence. Right now, she is their number one suspect. "

The brunette showed her displeasure.

"Suspect?! She disappeared instead! They should be looking for her! Maddie's a victim in this! She asked for our help! "

Bruce was amused inside to see the brunette so wound up. Clark didn't lie to him when he talked about her strong character.

"That's what we're going to do. The FBI will take care of the part about her boyfriend, we will get her and help her. "

Lois turned to Bruce.

"She's not your prime suspect! Clark and I were there! We could have done that! "

Todd's mocking laughter was heard.

"His throat was slit, if you had committed the crime, you'd be covered in blood. "

Lois grimaced. Bruce turned his head towards Clark.

"By the way, what's with the outfit?! "

"Have you seen the neighborhood?! We could have gotten Maddie in trouble when we showed up in our suits. You, on the other hand, don't care about that detail... "

Bruce and Todd looked at each other. Indeed, they were in costume. At least they didn't have their bulletproof vests with "FBI" written on them.

"We wanted to move quickly. "

"But it obviously didn't work," Todd continued.

Bruce gave Clark a defiant look of defiance.

" _The first one who gets his hands on Madeline?_ " he asked in French.

" _If I win, you have to take two days off._ "

Clark's confident smile really made Bruce want to win the challenge.

" _You owe me a professional service._ "

Clark sighed, but agreed. They had both agreed to divide the personal and professional as much as possible. But Bruce had to recognize that Clark was a good source of information for him, and vice versa. Sometimes they were both constrained by their professional limitations. This service was beyond that.

" _You're tough in business._ "

" _You're asking me to take time off._ "

" _Because you never take any_! "

Todd looked at his phone.

"Steph's coming in ten minutes. "

Bruce walked past Clark, starting to search the apartment. The two reporters were forced to wait on the side, having no right to touch the premises or observe the evidence. Bruce wrote down some information on his notebook, the rest in his memory and finished his search in 10 minutes with the watch in hand. They heard the police sirens and then the footsteps on the stairs. Clark stared at him as he walked through the doorway.

"Agent Brown will take your statements. It should take... at least a couple of hours. "

Clark shot him with his eyes and swore in Russian. Bruce smiled inwardly and with Todd they left the scene: they had to find this Madeline before they did. This kind of situation really made his investigations much more interesting.


	7. That day on the TV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish you a Merry Christmas Eve or happy holidays !

_**That day on TV** _

* * *

Bruce parked his car in the driveway, relieved to get home. It had been a long and trying week, and now that he had just completed his investigation, all he wanted to do was settle down and enjoy his weekend, hoping to spend it with Clark. When he opened the door, he heard the television on.

"Hi, I'm home. "

Clark replied with a grunt.

He was sitting on the couch, leaning towards the TV screen, visibly focused on what was happening there. Bruce didn't take it personally, Clark must have had his reasons. He took off his clothes, took off his gun and badge and put them back in their place in the hall dresser and sat down next to Clark. Clark looked up at the screen only to place a quick kiss on his cheek. Bruce took off his shoes, holding out his ear.

" _We'll soon be getting the latest information on the outcome of the Lex Luthor vs. New York State trial, live with CBSN_ [...]"

Bruce looked up at the screen. The live feed would probably overlap with the rest of the evening news program. For once he could have followed them because he wasn't too late... He turned his head towards Clark.

"Luthor? Your investigation of the last two months was about him, wasn't it? An arms deal? "

"Shhht! "

Clark grabbed the remote to turn up the sound. Bruce sighed as he listened distractedly to what was going on. He must have had some interest in political affairs because of his position, but it bothered him more than anything else.

He got up to rummage through a drawer in the hall cabinet and pulled out a list of menus for delivery. If Clark wasn't cooking, tonight it would be... an Italian caterer. Bruce retrieved the menu and settled comfortably on the couch, retrieving their landline phone on the way. He quietly looked at the menu while Clark was ranting and raving about waiting for the outcome of the trial.

As far as he knew, Clark had been working for two months with his colleague Lois Lane on an arms deal they had been tipped off about, which apparently involved people high up in the company. It had taken them a long time to build up solid evidence and report it to the police. Bruce knew that if the case escalated, it would immediately be taken over by the FBI. It wasn't specific to his department, but he knew how the Bureau worked.

"Italian tonight. What do you want? "

Clark waved his hand at him to tell him to shut up.

"B. it's a big deal! " Clark paused, his eyes glued to the television. "I'll take Fettucine al tartufo! That's it! "

Bruce displayed a slight smile as he searched for the restaurant in their saved contacts. He stood up to make his phone call, running away from the noise of the television. The call was very quick. When he returned, Clark was standing in front of the television.

" [...] _Luthor was therefore cleared of all charges_ […]"

"No, it's not possible to hear such bullshit ! "

Clark got angry on TV until the end of the report. All Bruce could hear through Clark's swearing was that Luthor was now free, that the evidence against him had not been convincing, and from what he heard from the Luthor interview, his arrogance was already irritating him.

"What a piece of shit ! What kind of judicial system is this?! Shit, I didn't take so much shit to get him out free after a week of trial! One week! What kind of country is this?! The delays are usually longer! You rich bastard! "

Bruce went to their wine cellar to get a bottle of white wine. He opened the bottle and waited before serving them two glasses.

"Fortunately not all rich people are," Bruce naturally commented as he smelled the wine.

Clark was mad with anger. Eyes fixed on the screen, fists clenched, he responded harshly as Luthor disappeared from the screen to make way for a page of advertising.

"Yes, luckily! But it drives me crazy to see that kind of injustice! This one, I'm making it my business, it's coming out of my eyes! The slightest misstep and-"

"Would you like some wine? "

Clark turned his head towards him, ready to shout at him, but Bruce had brought him the glass. Clark grunted and picked it up and drank from his glass without even savoring it.

"Thank you. But it still drives me crazy! "

And Clark went back to his speech. He needed to unburn. Bruce had seen him working hard without complaining about his long hours, cancelled days off, and all the other problems that came their way. He could handle Clark unburning one evening. He was there for that too.

"You'll get him next time. This kind of guy doesn't just stop, he'll keep going. You'll find something to put him away. "

Bruce finished his sentence as the news were scrolling. He was surprised to see the front page. He approached the screen as Clark went to get another drink.

"That's the worst! He won't stop and we all know it! Damn it Bruce, he's not even on parole! He won't even be put under surveillance! "

Clark continued to argue behind his back. Bruce was surprised.

" [...] _the Supreme Court has officially recognized it as legal in all of the United States and legally valid in the states opposed to the_ [...] "

Bruce couldn't believe his eyes and ears. The images on the screen proved it. Outside, everywhere, it was a party. A highly colorful party.

"Would you have wanted to get married? "

Behind him, Clark replied sharply, still angry.

"I'm talking about the hundreds of AKs that were found in the warehouses in the name of a shell company that we managed to link to Luthor, who was a big shareholder! "

Bruce turned his head towards him as Clark turned to face him. He looked at the screen, listened, then frowned.

"Oh. It's about time the United States moved on this. "

Bruce nodded his head.

"I agree. Now we can legally marry as other countries have done. "

Clark approached him to watch TV.

"Well, 2015 is definitely going to be marked by many events. "

Bruce grabbed his phone and sent a quick message. He nodded to Clark.

"With that, we'll be safe. We haven't been in Virginia for a while and it's already legal here. It should be settled quickly at city hall. "

Clark drank a sip of wine before responding lightly.

"Oh I think too, there aren't many people here who had been prevented from getting married because some states didn't accept it, except those who ... "

Clark stopped talking, pensively, as the idea must surely have made its way into his head. Bruce got his answer by message. He looked up at Clark and said:

"And then Kansas recognized it legal only a few months ago. "

Clark turned his head towards him, putting his glass of wine on their coffee table.

"Are you... are you proposing to me now? "

Bruce was the most natural in the world.

"Harvey has had the contract ready for a while, all you have to do is sign it and go to the town hall. For the alliance exchange, we can settle it this weekend. So yes, I'm asking you if you want to make it official. "

Clark stared at him with his intense blue eyes.

"This is the worst proposal of my life. "

The brunette grabbed his cut face and kissed him passionately. Bruce squeezed him tight, raising one hand on the back of his neck. He squeezed his neck, keeping his mouth against his as they exchanged a more than languid kiss. If they dragged on too long, Bruce wouldn't stay still. Clearly, standing still was not Clark's intention.

His shirt was already coming out of his pants as Clark's hands were pulling on it, his teeth chewing on his neck. That's all it took. Bruce was unable to say no when his lover was in demand. They both attacked each other's clothes, Bruce being careful not to bump into Clark's prosthesis.

Their eagerness and excitement landed them in their couch. The plates around Bruce's neck slid over Clark's torso, making him shiver as their hands strayed to the edge of their underwear. Then they were startled when the strident ringing of their doorbell rang.

"Damn, the delivery boy! "

Bruce quickly stood up to open the outside gate and quickly put his pants on, trying to hide his erection as best he could. Behind him, Clark was laughing as he walked by their kitchen to set the table.

Bruce opened the door for the delivery man, grumbling in spite of himself, paid in a hurry and closed the door. The poor guy must have suspected that he had come at the wrong time: Bruce hadn't even bothered to put on a T-shirt. He turned to Clark, who was still in his underwear. The billionaire took a moment to watch him get busy. Even with all of his scars and prosthesis, Clark was the only person who could bring that passion to his life. He adored the man in his entirety and wanted him all to himself.

"Are you going to have dinner like that? " he asked, putting their dinner on the table.

Clark winked at him.

"This is my home, isn't it? And then we'll be able to get to dessert faster... "

They took their seats at the table. Bruce was madly excited and if his stomach wasn't screaming so hungry, he would have skipped the meal stage. They glanced at each other with envy before helping themselves.

"Anyway, it was the best "yes" of my life. "

Clark gave him his devastating smile as they toasted.

"To us. "

Bruce smiled back a smile that meant everything.

"To us. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note : Clark call him "B." (pronounce "Bee") as in some comics


	8. That day after an argument

_**That day after an argument** _

* * *

Bruce looked at his phone screen for the umpteenth time. No calls. No messages. Nothing. He should have held it. He should have said something to Clark before he slammed the door. He should have stopped him from getting out. But as a rule, when they argued, Clark would go out and come back and sleep on the couch in the living room. He'd always come back.

Except yesterday. And the day before that. Clark had given no sign of life. Bruce had called him, sent him messages, even though he hated to do that. Clark continued to ignore his messages. Bruce was almost tempted to visit him at work, but he had noticed that Clark was staying at the Daily Planet very little.

He noticed this because he had geolocated his phone. He only did this to find out what Clark had done. Obviously, he was still working as usual. But he wasn't sleeping at their house. He didn't come home at night. He turned his phone off every time he finished work.

Bruce thought back to their argument and suspected Clark was doing this on purpose. He was doing exactly what he was accusing him of doing: ignoring him, not going home and not telling him what he was doing. It was unbearable. This time he understood what Clark was going through because of him and he bitterly regretted it. He wanted to make him understand it. But he continued to ignore it. It frustrated him even more.

He wanted to pick up the pieces, but he had no idea how he was going to do it. That kind of thing wasn't really his thing. He wasn't very good at it, and... and now he knew he had to improve. He had to be more present for Clark, take better care of him, avoid making him feel like he was only there for the decorating and the maintenance of the house. Clark was everything to him. He was his best friend, his confidant, the love of his life and the man he had married.

He dialed his number again, relieved to hear it ring. And it rang both in the phone and behind the door. He raised his head to watch the door of his house open. Clark went in, put down his bag without saying anything and closed the door behind him.

"Hi. "

Clark didn't turn around to answer him.

"Hi. "

Bruce didn't know how to break the ice. It was easier to speak through a phone than in front of him. Now he was caught off guard. Clark passed in front of him to get his things together. He came back down a few minutes later, undressed and tense. Bruce took a deep breath to come to him.

"Look... I'm sorry, I didn't realize that... "

Clark raised one hand to stop him. He moved closer to him but stayed away.

"I've had a bad day, Bruce. I just want to have a quiet evening. "

Clark's voice trembled with emotion. Something had happened. Something must have happened. Clark... would he have cheated on him? Did he get fired? He imagined hundreds of possible scenarios. Taking it upon himself, Bruce asked in a neutral voice:

"Do you want to talk about it? "

Clark went to their wine cellar and took out a bottle and two glasses. He served them, slipped a glass over to Bruce and took a few sips from his. He nervously ran a hand through his hair before looking at him.

"I'm working on a delicate case with Lois. At last, we _were_ working on a delicate case. I don't know if you understood what it was about. "

Bruce is thinking. He felt sorry that he didn't immediately visualize what he was talking about.

"Your story about crooked cops? "

Clark nodded his head and scored again before resuming. Bruce could see the anger in his eyes.

"At some Stups' guys. My informant, Chilo, was helping us turn them in. I know it's more the cops' job to get involved, but it's been dragging on for quite a while, so... I thought I was doing the right thing by stepping in. For two days we had been hiding out every night to catch a cop in the act at a delivery point. "

Clark took a break and Bruce waited for the rest. Clark ran his hand through his hair again and took a deep breath.

"I found him hanging this afternoon at his house. He was a good guy. "

His anger was palpable. Bruce walked up to him. He knew how to handle Clark in this kind of situation. It was something he knew a lot better. He walked up to him and touched his shoulder. Since Clark wasn't pushing him away, he pulled him up against him and stroked his neck. He hugged him back.

"I love you, B. "

Bruce hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Kal. I'll try to pay more attention to you from now on. I promise you that I will. "

With his head wedged in his neck, he felt him nod his head. Then after a moment of silence where Clark calmed down, he straightened his head, displaying a slight smile.

"I'm still glad you could understand. "

Bruce kissed him on the temple. Clark was the most precious thing in the world to him. He wouldn't let him go. Not now, not in the evening, not for the rest of his life.


	9. That day after the storm

_**That day after the storm** _

* * *

Bruce had come home completely exhausted from work. Alone at home despite the late hour, he knew they would probably order dinner again. Clark had warned him that he would be home late, so Bruce didn't find it surprising that his husband wasn't already there.

It was pouring outside. Clark had to be on foot, normally taking advantage of public transportation to get to work. With weather like this outside Clark would surely catch a cold. At the time, Bruce hesitated to call him to pick him up at the subway station he was using. But just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard the key turning in the lock of the door.

Clark, soaking wet, entered as he seemed to be protecting something under his raincoat. He looked up, smiled an embarrassed smile at Bruce and said:

"Don't be mad at me, but I couldn't leave them! "

Bruce knew from Clark's look and the little moans that he heard what it was. He opened the sides of the raincoat and found not one but two balls of hair totally soaked and noisy. Puppies.

"They were left in a box in the middle of the street! Look at them Bruce! It would have been cruel to abandon them to their fate! "

He stared at the two puppies who had just been weaned. They had hanging ears, a small muzzle and a totally different coat. These two little dogs were not purebred, that was for sure. They were wriggling in Clark's arm, happy to see a new head.

"Look how cute they are! I appeal to your kindness! "

"We've already talked about this dozens of times. No animals. "

Clark is camping on his position.

"There's no way I'm putting them back in that damn box that's falling apart in this rain! You refuse to have extra chains, not me! I think you can give them to me Bruce, with all the concessions I'm making! "

Bruce growled.

"Don't play that game with me, Clark. You knew that from the start. "

Clark's getting soft. He's showing off the puppies a little more.

"Bruce. Please. "

Bruce glanced at him blackly and bumped into Clark's begging gaze, which he could barely resist. He lowered his head towards the two fur balls, so fragile and overexcited. He sighed. It was true that they were cute.

"We'll dry them and then we'll see. "

Clark got a huge smile while Bruce preferred to turn his back on him, fetching tea towels before his smile became contagious. It went against Bruce's imagination. Animals were an added responsibility. Time to give them.

He came back to Clark with two tea towels and picked up one of the puppies from the brown one, smiling up to his ears. They both settled down on their couch, each wiping his hairball on his lap. They both had brown and white on their coats, but they were distinctly different.

Bruce's puppy had a black head and brown coat but his small legs and belly were white. He looked a lot like a Belgian Malinois Shepherd. Clark's puppy was mostly white except for his left ear, his back and tail, but his appearance did not deceive on his Belgian Malinois Shepherd blood. This sparked Bruce's interest. He knew that this breed was well trained and that they were very useful.

Clark must have noticed his new interest because he heard him say:

"What idea just changed your mind? I know you never wanted animals. It's a question of responsibility, of time, of the environment. Now we have the environment, and I can take time to take care of it. Are you okay with it ? "

Bruce looked at Clark. They both came home late. But he knew Clark would try harder. Because he wasn't like him, a workaholic. Clark loved his job as a journalist, but he hated being alone. He came home late from work because Bruce himself came home late from work. The puppies... it gave Clark another reason to come home. He took a breath and let go of his idea:

"If we keep them, we train them. "

Clark let out a victory cry and kissed him hard. Bruce felt his heart swell with joy.

"I love you B. "

Bruce kissed him back.

"Me too Kal. "

Clark's radiant smile was likely to be ever-present for several days. Bruce preferred to tell him what he wanted to do right away:

"I'm warning you: we're going to train them. I want these dogs to be as useful to us as possible."

Clark lost his smile slightly, despite the joy of the moment.

"More of your paranoia, right? Do you still think that after all this time we're going to get into trouble? "

Bruce nodded his head.

"Yes. You can never be too careful with the Agency. "

Clark weighed the pros and cons in his head. Bruce could almost see the mechanical gears turning as he was immersed in his thoughts. Then Clark found his smile again.

"Very good. We'll train them on your terms. Both of us. "

The little things were always squeaking. Clark's had gone to bed enjoying the brown's caresses and the one on Bruce's lap was licking his fingers. He nodded his head.

"Both of us. We'll go get their stuff together this weekend, okay? "

Clark nodded.

"We'll make do with what we have in the meantime. Any ideas about names? "

Bruce looked at the brown hairball, which turned his head towards him. He scratched his skull between his two little ears that were still bent.

"I like Ace. Do you like Ace? "

"Krypto! I think it goes well with this one. "

With a gesture of the chin, he showed the little white boy he had on his knees, who straightened up, visibly lacking contact. Bruce nodded his head.

"So that's how it's done. Now... dinner! "

Bruce put the puppy down and Clark did the same. The latter made a face.

"Oh. We've got nothing, right? "

"Not really. Chinese okay? What about them... should we get them some duck? Or beef? "

Clark laughed as the two puppies followed them around.

"Let's do that. "

Bruce grabbed his phone and called the registered number of the caterer they often ordered from. They were so used to it that they rarely changed the menu. As soon as he hung up, Clark came up to him with a smile on his face. He moved closer to Bruce, who came and grabbed him by the hips.

"Thank you Bruce. "

This time they kissed languorously. Bruce tightened his grip, one of his hands reaching up to slip into his curly hair as Clark grabbed his shirt. They separated only to catch their breath and because the little squeaks at their feet were trying to get their attention. Clark pulled himself away to get down to the level of Ace and Krypto who were crying out for a cuddle. Bruce watched him do it, took one look at the pouring rain and let go:

"You're the one who's going to take them out tonight. "

His sadistic smile to Clark was answered with a dark look.

"I hate you. "

Bruce shrugged.

"Get used to it now! "

He crouched down in turn and got little Krypto's attention. They were really cute. He couldn't hold back a tender smile. From now on, there would be not two but four of them and finally, the prospect was not so unpleasant to contemplate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Ace and Krypto are the superdogs from comics :D Ace as Batdog and Krypto...well, the superdog :P  
> And yes, they'll be very useful :D


	10. That day for the new year

_**That day for the new year** _

* * *

Bruce had these thoughts sometimes when he was going through a moment that he felt important. Those kinds of reflections where he thought that every image had to be remembered, every sound, every emotion, every feeling. This whole evening was one of those moments. Those moments to keep preciously in his memories, those moments of happiness he felt.

The house hadn't been so lively for a long time. Clark was right to insist. He blessed him inwardly for not letting go and for inviting their friends and former comrades-in-arms to their home to celebrate the New Year. It was their turn to welcome the others and if Bruce had been reluctant to have guests, they found themselves hosting them for a few days. Every day had been a celebration, but tonight in particular.

"It's hot so don't touch it right away! "

He looked up at Clark, dressed in the ridiculous Christmas sweater that Barry had given him, who was bringing them new snacks. He put them all on the table between them. He glanced around their coffee table at the congregation. John Stewart was sitting on a footstool to his left, Barry was sitting next to him in a suit on the carpet, Diana was drinking her beer while talking to Hal, both sitting on the first sofa and next to him Arthur and Diana's boyfriend, Steve, were trying to coax their dogs with food.

This last vision made him sigh slightly as he felt Clark's hand pass over his shoulder in a gentle caress before he sat on the floor between him and John.

"Forget it, I've already tried, the dogs won't come," John told them.

Steve replied while he was making faces at the dogs.

"Yes, they're going to crack eventually! "

Diana and Steve had been together for about two years. Bruce liked him. He was also a former member of the US Air Force, converted as a training pilot next to Diana's military base. Diana was the only one of the group to remain in the military, even though she was no longer going on OpEx, she had moved up to the rank of 1st Lieutenant and was aiming for the rank of Captain.

" _Here !_ "

Bruce turned his head towards Clark as he gave his order in Japanese. Ace and Krypto arrived on Clark in a second, sitting down while they waited for another order. Bruce was quite proud of the result of their intensive training. It had been long, hard, but the result was well worth it. He retrieved two small cheese cabbages and placed them on the muzzles of the two dogs. They did not move a hair.

"Impressive," commented Hal, who had brought his eyes back to them. "You trained them in Chinese? "

Clark shook his head. Bruce gave the order in Russian.

" _Eat._ "

The dogs each ate their cabbage.

"That doesn't sound like Chinese," Barry commented in turn.

"No kidding, thanks Flash! "

They all laughed and Clark explained:

"Ace and Krypto have been trained to respond to orders only in Russian or Japanese. "

They all stared at them curiously. Arthur swept the conversation away with a wave of his hand.

"You have always had a strange complicity. Shall we resume the game? "

"Absolutely! "

"Yeah! "

Bruce had fun with all of this. When they had announced at their first big reunion that they were both living together, Clark had a huge apprehension. He had explained to him that Barry had discovered the nature of their relationship, but he was afraid of how the others would react. Wrongly so. Bruce knew that somehow they hadn't been very discreet. Their close friends must have picked up on things and it would have been obvious to him to guess how they felt about each other. But Bruce had always tended to be much more perceptive than others.

"B., it's your turn to draw! "

Clark handed him John's hat. He reached out his hand and picked up his piece of post-it, which he unfolded and stuck to his forehead. Clark did the same as everyone else had picked his.

They all scanned each other so they could begin their guessing game. It was a simple and quite fun game, which made for a great evening. Right now Clark was Jackie Chan, Arthur was Angelina Jolie, Steve ironically picked Steve McQueen, Hal was the famous Mister T., Diana picked Chuck Norris, Barry was Whoopi Goldberg and John was Emma Thompson.

"Seriously, who picked the « actors » theme?!" Barry grinned.

"I'm denouncing Hal straight in," replied Diana.

"Hey, we're not criticizing the master of the game, okay?! Besides, I did that three days ago! "

Bruce watched the debate unfold before his eyes as a grin formed in the corner of his mouth. He stroked Ace's fur with his fingertips, looking at Clark at an angle. Clark was an active participant in the conversation, laughing out loud. He loved his laugh.

"Everybody's got what it takes," Clark asked, ready to get up.

John grabbed his shoulder and forced him to sit down.

"It's okay, we've got everything we need. "

Hal added his own.

"Yeah, sit down, one-legged man! "

They both burst out laughing as Clark didn't take the disability jokes the wrong way at all. He wasn't the only one who had suffered from the after-effects, and between them, it was a natural acceptance.

"The one-legged man, he beats you when you want to run! "

"I'll take you at your word! We'll see about that later! "

Bruce laughed slightly. When Clark put on his prosthesis to go running, he was quite fast and enduring. He had trained hard for two years after his amputation to get rid of his limp, and one more year to be able to run with an adapted prosthesis. Clark hadn't stopped living because he had lost his leg, he had moved on.

"Well then, am I a woman?" Diana asked to start the game.

Everyone looked at her character, and then they burst out laughing. The game promised to be quite fun.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Everyone, photo ! "cheered up Barry by placing his camera on a piece of furniture.

The music was in full swing and he had to shout to get everyone's attention.

"Barry, we've already taken a lot of pictures," protested Steve.

"Yeah, but now it's almost midnight! "

Clark was the first to join their amateur photographer, followed by Arthur and Hal.

"We're seriously wiped out," Diana commented as she joined Steve.

"That's the funny thing! "

The rest of the group joined them as they put on the first TV show that showed the countdown to the New Year.

"We're taking the picture at 0! "

Bruce slipped in beside Clark and wrapped his arm around his hip.

"10 ! "they shouted in chorus as the numbers appeared on the screen.

"9 ! "

Ace and Krypto were ordered to move away.

"8 ! "

"7 ! "

Barry lost his balance when he activated the camera timer. His swear word was lost in the number 6.

"5 ! "

"4 ! "

He ran to get back into position.

"3 ! "

Bruce turned his head towards Clark. The blue of his eyes was really beautiful.

"2 ! "

They leaned over each other.

"1 ! "

"Happy New Year ! "

And their lips were already fused.

They separated to wish each other the Happy New Year, and then John led them outside.

"Come out! The fireworks aren't over yet! "

They all went out into the park to look at the sky. Bruce was amused to see that the fireworks were over.

"You really screwed up, John," Arthur commented.

The former sniper turned fresh graphic designer rubbed his hair.

"I was sure I heard the noise... "

"Never mind! We'll be able to compare ourselves to the race ! " adds Hal while watching Clark.

Clark made a grimace.

"It's a shit idea, we drank too much! "

"Are you afraid of losing, Steel? "

Clark took a strange smile and gave him a black look before turning to Bruce. Bruce understood the message and even though he thought it was a totally stupid idea, he was already on his way home. Clark needed his other prosthesis and he was going to get it for him, accompanied by Barry and Diana. When they came back outside, Bruce was holding the prosthesis and the other two had brought back four bottles of champagne. So the race was well watered.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bruce opened his eyes and immediately felt his aching head make him dizzy. His belly was loose, he had aches and pains and he had to admit it, he smelled of alcohol. How could the evening have turned out this way? He got up with difficulty and realized that he was on the floor, in his living room, occupying a completely deflated mattress with John. He was still sleeping with his legs half asleep on the floor.

He staggered backwards, clinging to the back of his sofa. There he found Hal, Arthur and Barry sprawled in the unfolded sofa. Their position was so strange that he couldn't understand how they had gotten twisted up like that. Legs and arms tangled, bodies twisted... Why was Hal totally naked?!

Bruce grunted as he grabbed a cushion to cover his private parts. The four soldiers were staying at home for the week and he was very happy that Diana and Steve decided to take a hotel room. Bruce vaguely remembered saying goodbye to them at about four o'clock in the morning. After that, he didn't remember much.

He looked at the state of the room, disordered among the clothes, dead bottles, playing cards and empty trays of food. Where the hell was Clark?! The smell of coffee answered him first. He turned to the kitchen and found Clark perched on one of their high chairs, half sprawled on their center island.

"Hi," he said as he arrived.

"Hi," Clark grunted, visibly discontented.

Bruce leaned on the table and climbed up to a chair beside it, grabbing Clark's still hot cup. Black coffee, pure. He closed his eyes as he felt the bitter taste and the heat running down his throat. He returned the cup to Clark, who drank it in turn.

"I don't think I've ever had such a hangover in my life," Bruce said. "I don't know what came over me... "

Clark ran a hand through his hair. His brown curls seemed to be stuck. Ah, yes, he remembered that a bottle of champagne had burst during the evening.

"John had challenged you, I think. "

Bruce nodded. He loved a challenge. It wasn't a surprising thing.

"And why is Hal naked on the couch? "

He saw Clark's black eyes and saw his little grin in the corner of his mouth.

"He was the loser in our strip poker game. I can't wait for him to wake up. "

The billionaire pinched the bridge of his nose. His brain was still fogged up with alcohol. He must have had trouble thinking.

"Um... why? "

Clark's drinking his coffee.

"Cause the bastard pinched my leg while I was sleeping. He put it on top of the bookcase upstairs. "

Bruce took a quick look down the stairs. At the top of the upstairs library he could see Clark's prosthesis on the last shelf. He turned his head towards Clark as he continued:

"I'm still too drunk to go up with one leg... So... "

He pointed with a gesture of his head to the back of the room. Krypto and Ace were lying on clothes. Bruce could make out Hal's things. He laughed, seizing his companion's revenge. If neither he nor Clark gave the order, Hal was never going to get his clothes back. They were in the custody of their dogs. Bruce slapped himself mentally, thinking that he had forgotten them.

"They were fed and taken out? "

Clark nodded.

"They licked my face so I could get up. "

Bruce smiled as he imagined the scene. He made coffee for them again so that Clark didn't have to get up.

"By the way, how do you know it was Hal who swiped your leg? "

Clark waved a camera. Barry's. He handed the camera to Bruce as he settled back in with the steaming cups.

He consulted the photos. They retraced their entire evening, going through the most stupid actions. Hal naked, their poker game, a break where they all showed their buttocks, their champagne-pong game, their various games and all the nonsense that went along with it. There were pictures of him having fun with Ace's ears, other series of pictures with Clark and Barry, other pictures where Arthur and John were playing acrobats in their living room. Bruce laughed in front of some pictures, others made him feel ashamed. But it had been a really memorable evening. He would never forget it.

"There are some pictures I plan to get back. Well, I'm going to get all of them back, but I'll frame some of them. "

Bruce nodded.

"There are some really beautiful pictures. "

As he looked at them, he saw the joy, heard the laughter, felt the warmth of being surrounded by the people he cared about. Those were precious moments that he wanted to keep as many memories as possible.

"I would put the New Year's in a beautiful setting. It would look good on the hall dresser. "

Bruce turned his head towards Clark and stroked his neck with his fingertips. Clark was the one who made this home so much warmer with his personal touches. It wasn't like Bruce to expose his personal life in this way, but after all, he was home. He was out of his mind when a growl was heard, followed by the sound of a fall, swearing and other grunts.

Clark and Bruce watched as Barry struggled to get up, helping Hal who had obviously landed on the floor.

"Dude, why the fuck are you naked? "

"What the fuck? "

Hal looked around him. Bruce smiled slightly as Clark stood next to him gloating with a sadistic grin.

"Give me my leg and I'll give you your clothes. "

It took a while for Hal's neurons to connect. He followed the path of Clark's gaze and his head fell apart when he saw the two dogs lying on his clothes.

" _Watch out_ ," Clark commanded in Japanese.

The two dogs sat facing Hal. Hal was totally demoralized as he kept the cushion to hide his private parts. He sighed.

"Damn it... "

And Bruce and Clark enjoyed the situation for a long time. The new year was off to a good start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish you all a happy end of the year and hope that 2021 will be better!


	11. That day among many others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Happy New Year ! This is the last chapter, hope you'll enjoy it !

_**That day among many others** _

* * *

Clark dislodged himself from Bruce's arm and turned off his alarm clock. He stretched out, turning his head towards Bruce's face, who was still giving himself some time before opening his eyes. He had discovered over the years that if there was no emergency, Bruce always had trouble getting up. Clark leaned over his neck and delivered a myriad of kisses.

"Uh... hi. "

Clark smiled as he kissed Bruce's back again.

"Hi. "

He straightened up and sat on the edge of his bed to put on his prosthesis. He felt Bruce's movements in the bed, heard the tinkling of Bruce's plates around his neck and felt the warmth of his breath on his neck.

"Slept well? "

Bruce kissed his neck as Clark put on his second leg.

"Yes, but I'm still sore from last night... "

Clark felt Bruce's smile as he continued to kiss his neck.

"As if I'm going to pity you. You only reap what you sow. "

The brunette put his artificial foot on the ground and turned to Bruce to kiss him.

"And I don't regret it in the least! "

Clark got up and walked out the door first. Ace and Krypto were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, like music paper. Clark let them out into the park while he made coffee. Bruce joined him to fill the dogs' bowls.

"Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast? "

Bruce nodded.

"Perfect. I'm off to the bathroom. "

Clark already had his head in the refrigerator when he left. He prepared their breakfast, putting the juices on the table, pouring their coffee. The eggs and bacon were just finished cooking when Bruce came back from his shower.

"How would you like to go for a walk in Central Park today?" Bruce suggested. "All of us together. "

Clark looked up at him, a little surprised.

"Why not? It looks like it's a little sunny this afternoon. Besides, since we're not running this morning, it'll give them a chance to exercise outside the park. "

Bruce approved. Clark had finally given him a taste for simple walks, quiet activities on weekends. When they weren't working. Clark swallowed a sip of coffee before resuming:

"And we could take those pastries you like at Tommy's on Fifth Avenue. "

Bruce smiled a tender smile at Clark. The man knew him better than anyone else.

"We could push vice and have dinner at the Continental. "

It was a great restaurant that Clark loved. It was very popular in New York and people had to make reservations months in advance to get a table. The brown gave him a negative head shake.

"You're dreaming, Bruce. We didn't make a reservation and I don't want you playing with your status. But since you seem to be in the mood for vice... I'd like us to take a few days off and go to... Malta. It's nice Malta. "

Bruce liked Malta. He went there when he was young, with his butler Alfred. It was a destination that brought back many happy memories.

"I can do that, but I would only take a week, I have too much work. "

Clark had a big smile on his face.

"Super! Shall we book that for... three weeks? I've already laid down days. "

Bruce was thinking. In three weeks time, he will have plenty of time to lay down his days at the same time as Clark. Either for... the end of March. He growled.

"You know I don't like to celebrate my birthday. "

The brunette leaned over to kiss him.

"Correction, you don't like getting presents. And I know you don't like it because everyone thought you were born in May. But now I'm talking about a trip, a beautiful hotel, the sea, the sun, and just the two of us. "

Clark's mouth went down his neck. Bruce closed his eyes, feeling weak from giving in so easily to Clark. He knew he would say yes, just to please him. Because he loved Clark, adored him and was happy enough to make his own.

"Okay. The two of us, five-star service and a bed. "

Clark let out a small laugh against his throat.

"I would expect nothing less from you. "

Bruce lifted his husband's head to kiss him, sliding his hand on the back of his neck. They separated only to catch their breath.

"I love you, Kal. More than you can ever imagine. "

Clark ran his hand through Bruce's dark hair.

"I love you, B. You mean the world to me. "

Bruce observed the deep blue of Clark's eyes. He approached to place a kiss on his forehead and moved backwards.

"Well, now that that's settled, I'm off to the shower! "

Bruce nodded his head.

"I'm going to wash the dishes and finish getting dressed. "

Clark stopped while he was on the stairs.

"Mh. I'll be you, I'll get dressed after I get Ace and Krypto home. The ground seems to be quite loose this morning. "

Bruce made a grimace as he looked outside. Ace and Krypto loved the mud. He made a promise to himself that the next time it rained during night, it would be Clark's turn to take them out. He may have been the man of his life, but he wouldn't get off that easy!

They each prepare to go out. Bruce put on blue jeans, a white polo shirt and put on a black leather jacket. He equipped himself with his Ray-Bans that covered his face well enough and hesitated before giving up the idea of wearing a scarf. It didn't look like there was much wind outside. And then, he was not very cold.

Next to him, Clark had put on his usual outfit. Bruce looked up at the fateful plaid shirt. He would never be able to get him to give up the country style of dress. Clark loved wearing plaid shirts. This one was red and his shirt underneath was grey. In addition to his light brown leather jacket, he really had the look of a farm guy straight out of Kansas. Clark smiled a silly smile at him.

"I only dress like this when I'm not working, let me enjoy it! "

Bruce shook his head.

"And then you wonder why I don't take many days off... "

Clark slaped him on the shoulder, eliciting a smile from the other. He then checked that everything was in place while Clark put the harnesses on the dogs.

" _Sit_. "

He had his papers, car keys on him, leashes were in the car. He went to the dresser in the hallway and opened his drawer. His service weapon was there, his backup gun was there, his FBI badge…

"Have you seen my knife? "

He heard Clark's sigh of exasperation.

"On the bedside table. "

"What's he doing up there? "

Bruce went up the stairs and heard Clark answer him:

"You know, that's when I undressed you so I could have sex with you and you forgot to take your knife out of your ankle! I am a _great danger_! "

He clearly heard Clark's sarcastic tone. He retrieved his knife with its holster and tied it to his ankle and then went back down.

"You know very well that you should always carry a knife with you. "

Clark was waiting for him at the door.

"Yes, when we were in Iraq. There, you don't need to have such security! You take with you a 12 centimeter semi-sheathed blade, matt, with a notch and a one-handed opening. Not to mention that you have to have the window breaker with the belt cutter? "

Bruce is narrowing his eyes.

"Says the man who always carries around his perfect bomb disposal kit with him. "

Clark opened his mouth, then closed it again. He growled as he opened the door.

"I feel naked without it," he grumbled as he walked out, followed by their dogs.

Bruce slammed the door as he activated the opening of the 4x4. He swore as he realized that he hadn't taken the keys to their house.

"Shit, I forgot the keys again. "

Clark laughed as they both got into the vehicle. The dogs took their place in the back seat.

"Still, it's not a real kit. Just tape, pliers and a small Swiss Army knife. "

"You're going in. "

The brown groaned and crossed his arms.

"Paranoid. "

"I love you too. "

Clark answered with a middle finger and Bruce started out smiling. He loved their little squabbles. It had taken him a while to open up fully to Clark, but it had come. Clark had understood better than anyone how he worked, and if it had been difficult at times, it had only strengthened the complicity they shared.

Bruce knew that once he was out, he would be neutral and impassive again. It was so natural for him that it didn't require any effort on his part. But that wouldn't stop him from enjoying all the moments he shared with Clark. And as long as Clark knew, what the rest of the world thought, he didn't care. They were happy, and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all for those moments we shared ! Thank you for you reading, may we meet again in other fiction ! Wish you all a good health and happy moments like them.


End file.
